In pictures: we tried out the new pop-up curling club on a rooftop in east London

We've had crazy golf, boules and shuffleboard – and now everyone's favourite Winter Olympics sport (curling, obvs) has been given the hipster treatment. Which means it's only right that London's new pop-up curling club is on a rooftop in east London. Sliders officially opened last night, so we went down and checked it out. Here's what we learned.

1. There's no actual ice involved

Worried about taking a tumble on the ice? Don't be. Why? Er... because there isn't any. Yep, this is curling without the ice. Instead, the lanes are made from shiny plastic, which has been made to look like ice. It might not be the authentic curling experience, but the lack of ice is probably a good thing given the proximity of the bar to the curling lanes.

2. The rules aren't as complicated as they sound

There's a whole list of the rules on a poster in each lane, and you also get a designated referee to talk you through it as well. But if it all sounds a bit complicated, it basically boils down to this: you're aiming to get your stones as close to the middle circle as possible, and you want as many stones in the circles as you can at the end of each round (doesn't matter where, as long as they're in).

Oh, and letting the other team go first gives you a bit of an advantage as you'll play the last turn, meaning you can smash their stones out the way like the curling pro you are. 

3. The stones (that's the technical term, FYI) are REALLY heavy

Understanding the rules is a good start, but if you want to have a real shot at winning, you better start working on those guns. Maybe we've got particularly weak upper arm strength, but we found the stones seriously heavy. Here's what a good curling attempt looks like:

But if you're also lacking in the strength department, you might struggle to slide them properly. Some of us took a more 'bowling ball' approach, which would probably be frowned upon by Team GB, but hey, it (kind of) worked for us.

Okay, maybe not.

Check out some more pics of Sliders: 

Check out these other ace pop-ups happening in London this November